Chelsea missed a huge opportunity to move closer to the top four as they suffered a 2-1 defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford last night
Didier Drogba is right. Chelsea is unrecognisable to the team they were just a few years ago.
The Blues started a new chapter under Mauricio Pochettino in the summer following a chaotic 12 months. Three different managers, over £500million spent and a bloated squad of young players led to Chelsea finishing 12th last season.
After another huge spending spree in the summer, Pochettino has managed to lead Chelsea to 10th in the Premier League after 15 games. The halfway point of the season is edging closer but there has not been a clear sign of progression at Stamford Bridge.
Inconsistency has been a key problem for the Blues. Positive results against the likes of Tottenham, Arsenal, Man City and Liverpool have been cancelled out by defeats against the likes of Newcastle, Brentford and Nottingham Forest.
The pressure on Pochettino's position as manager has only risen following the latest defeat - a 2-1 loss against a struggling Manchester United at Old Trafford. Chelsea has a torrid record against United in recent years but the performance against Erik ten Hag's side was poor with Pochettino admitting it was a 'fair result'.
Speaking back in April earlier this year, Drogba told French television station Canal+: "I knew this club with a certain class during the [Roman] Abramovich era, but today I find it lacking. It's very hard for me to see how they got rid of certain people.
"They should go back to the principles and values they had. I no longer recognise my club."
The owners have stood by Pochettino so far this season and their stance remains unchanged - despite increasing pressure from supporters. Many fans will feel the same as Drogba did - and may still do - with the Blues looking like a shadow of themselves from the days of winning and challenging for trophies, being hard to beat and competing in every game.
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